Reyhan Jamalova was born in 2002 in Azerbaijan. She got
high grades in her lessons and her parents were very proud
of her. She loved her science classes and studied very hard.
On the weekends, she often watched TV programmes about
science and discussed them with her father.
She liked watching rain and often thought, “Every raindrop
has energy. Can people get electricity from raindrops?”
Fifteen-year-old Reyhan and her father started preparing a
device. They used the energy from rain and powered some
lamps with the new device. They called the device Rainergy.
Reyhan thought about people in poor countries. These people
had a lot of rain and with the Rainergy they could get electricity and
have better lives.
In 2017, Reyhan entered her invention into a European competition for new green
technology ideas - Climate Launchpad. She was the youngest person in the
competition and Rainergy won a prize.
Reyhan is in the list of thirty young inventors. Now she is working on Rainergy and
wants to make it better. She wants people all over the world to get cheap and green
electricity.
Adapted from:Kidstory, 50 children and young people who shook up the world
4
Read the article again and answer the questions. Who...
1. liked helping one of his/her parents? 2. studied very well at school? 3. talked to one of his/her parents about
science? 4. couldn’t go to school because of a
problem?
5. thought about people in other countries? 6. helped his/her family with his/her invention? 7. often visits other countries?
5
Look at the words in bold in the article and match them to their definitions.
1. drops of water coming from the sky 2. winners get it at the end of the competition 3. connected with the environment or its protection 4. having very little money 5. to tell other people about your ideas and feelings
6
Discuss the questions with a partner.
• What do Reyhan and William have in common? • What problems do the people in poor countries have? • What kind of inventions can make their life easier?
to have in common
- to share the
same interests
or have similar
characteristics